Nuffnang

Friday, August 31, 2012

When the Labor Day weekend comes up, fans are giddy about the upcoming College Football season, where everyone has a chance at the BCS and all that. To get people ready, here is the Oregon Duck mascot invoking the Oppa Gangnam Style that has taken over the scene.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

FEU - Realized on their offensive potential first, then relied on sheer talent and veteran guile to dispatch the Falcons. Will need a combination of that to go over the Ateneo mental block. Ateneo - From Coach Norman Black: “But honestly, I’m definitely not satisfied with the way we played.
We did not play very intelligently as a team. And we also did not play
as a team. With FEU and La Salle coming up, we definitely have to play a
lot better if we want to win.”UST - Jeric Fortuna is LA Tenorio-clutch. Aljon Mariano is money on iso. But they better make sure to avoid offensive droughts, like that Antarctic game against FEU.La Salle - Kudos for the homage to the late Sec. Robredo. This definitely ain't the old Archers of the previous decade.NU - Troy Rosario and Henry Betayene have emerged. Life after Mbe will be alright.Adamson - Just as I was praising Brondial, he then gets caught punching a guy, gets himself ejected, then suspended. To Coach Leo Austria's credit, they scared their opposition, but other teams had better talent in the end.

UP - How long does it take to fix Chris Ball's paperwork? Look at how Alinko Mbah fared against Greg.UE - New coach, same result for the Recto-based crew.

Sunday @ Mall of Asia Arena - 2 P.M. University of the Philippines vs University of the East / 4 P.M. Far Eastern University vs National University

Other basketball games scheduled:

Women's

Friday @ Fil-Oil Flying V Arena: 1015 A.M. Adamson vs University of the East / 12 NN University of the Philippines vs Far Eastern University / 1:45 P.M. De La Salle University vs Ateneo de Manila / 3:30 P.M. National University vs University of Santo Tomas

Sunday @ Mall of Asia Arena: 8:30 A.M. University of the Philippines vs University of Santo Tomas / 10:15 A.M. University of the East vs
Ateneo de Manila / @ FIl-Oil Flying V Arena: 3:30 P.M. Far Eastern University vs National University / 5:15 P.M. De La Salle University vs
Adamson

Juniors'

Thursday @ Mall of Asia Arena: 8:30 A.M. University of the Philippines Integrated School vs University of the East / 10:15 A.M. De La Salle-Zobel vs Adamson

Sunday @ FIl-Oil Flying V Arena: 8:30 A.M. University of Santo Tomas vs Far Eastern University / 10:15 A.M. National University vs
Ateneo de Manila / 12 NN University of the East vs De La Salle-Zobel / 1:45 P.M. Adamson vs University of the Philippines Integrated School

Monday, August 27, 2012

Hello and I wish you all a Happy National Heroes Day in the Motherland.

In a sport that is regarded highly by its citizens, any achievement by someone or by a team garner attention in these parts.
Sure, the opponent is currently composed of imports plying their trade in the continent, but we Filipinos take pride in beating the Americans in the process of winning a tournament, something we have not accomplished in 14 years. Look at the curated reaction from the Motherland.

It was a satisfying victory for a nation starving for success in a sport it dearly loves. And as such, they come home on a holiday that honors heroism, something they have in spades.

For those who are interested, the UAAP Cheerdance Competition is scheduled on September 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena. If there are ties at the end of the 2nd with playoff implications, it is to be broken on September 23. If there are none, that same day will be set for the Final Four.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Lance Armstong's Statement of August 23, 2012 (reposted in full and unedited)

AUSTIN, Texas - August 23rd, 2012 - There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense.

I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA’s charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA’s motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

If I thought for one moment that by participating in USADA’s process, I could confront these allegations in a fair setting and – once and for all – put these charges to rest, I would jump at the chance. But I refuse to participate in a process that is so one-sided and unfair. Regardless of what Travis Tygart says, there is zero physical evidence to support his outlandish and heinous claims. The only physical evidence here is the hundreds of controls I have passed with flying colors. I made myself available around the clock and around the world. In-competition. Out of competition. Blood. Urine. Whatever they asked for I provided. What is the point of all this testing if, in the end, USADA will not stand by it?

From the beginning, however, this investigation has not been about learning the truth or cleaning up cycling, but about punishing me at all costs. I am a retired cyclist, yet USADA has lodged charges over 17 years old despite its own 8-year limitation. As respected organizations such as UCI and USA Cycling have made clear, USADA lacks jurisdiction even to bring these charges. The international bodies governing cycling have ordered USADA to stop, have given notice that no one should participate in USADA’s improper proceedings, and have made it clear the pronouncements by USADA that it has banned people for life or stripped them of their accomplishments are made without authority. And as many others, including USADA’s own arbitrators, have found, there is nothing even remotely fair about its process. USADA has broken the law, turned its back on its own rules, and stiff-armed those who have tried to persuade USADA to honor its obligations. At every turn, USADA has played the role of a bully, threatening everyone in its way and challenging the good faith of anyone who questions its motives or its methods, all at U.S. taxpayers’ expense. For the last two months, USADA has endlessly repeated the mantra that there should be a single set of rules, applicable to all, but they have arrogantly refused to practice what they preach. On top of all that, USADA has allegedly made deals with other riders that circumvent their own rules as long as they said I cheated. Many of those riders continue to race today.

The bottom line is I played by the rules that were put in place by the UCI, WADA and USADA when I raced. The idea that athletes can be convicted today without positive A and B samples, under the same rules and procedures that apply to athletes with positive tests, perverts the system and creates a process where any begrudged ex-teammate can open a USADA case out of spite or for personal gain or a cheating cyclist can cut a sweetheart deal for themselves. It’s an unfair approach, applied selectively, in opposition to all the rules. It’s just not right.

USADA cannot assert control of a professional international sport and attempt to strip my seven Tour de France titles. I know who won those seven Tours, my teammates know who won those seven Tours, and everyone I competed against knows who won those seven Tours. We all raced together. For three weeks over the same roads, the same mountains, and against all the weather and elements that we had to confront. There were no shortcuts, there was no special treatment. The same courses, the same rules. The toughest event in the world where the strongest man wins. Nobody can ever change that. Especially not Travis Tygart.

Today I turn the page. I will no longer address this issue, regardless of the circumstances. I will commit myself to the work I began before ever winning a single Tour de France title: serving people and families affected by cancer, especially those in underserved communities. This October, my Foundation will celebrate 15 years of service to cancer survivors and the milestone of raising nearly $500 million. We have a lot of work to do and I'm looking forward to an end to this pointless distraction. I have a responsibility to all those who have stepped forward to devote their time and energy to the cancer cause. I will not stop fighting for that mission. Going forward, I am going to devote myself to raising my five beautiful (and energetic) kids, fighting cancer, and attempting to be the fittest 40-year old on the planet.

This is probably one of the most complicated stories out there, if you know the story about Lance.

So, Red Bull Philippines is arranging a contest to have an exclusive meet & greet with Rajon Rondo.

Three lucky fans will get the chance to meet the point guard on August 28. The mechanics are relatively simple, according to their twitter handle @redbullph. (if you have questions, tweet it to them, because I am going with that twitter's instructions.)

Just show them in a photo how much you love Red Bull. Just make sure you are referring to this particular red bull (Blue & Silver)

Blue & Silver

People have until 6pm on August 26 to submit tweet their entries to @redbullph. Only the three most epic photos will be chosen.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

This is complete statement by the University of the East. Posted in full and without edit.

The University of the East wishes to inform its public, including the
members of the Philippines’ sports media/UAAP Press Corps as well as
the collegiate sports audience that appropriate measures are being taken
to strengthen the performance of all UE Red Warriors teams in the
various tournaments of the University Athletic Association of the
Philippines, as well as in other sports tournaments.

In line with this, UE Red Warriors-Men’s Basketball Team Head Coach
Jerry Codiñera has been assigned a bigger task as Sports Consultant of
the University, to help strengthen UE’s sports program.

We in Coach Codiñera’s alma mater regard him with the highest respect
and esteem. Indeed, not only is he a UE alumnus, he had also made a
name for himself as a UE Red Warrior and as a superstar “defense
minister” during his stint with the Philippine Basketball Association.

His more than three decades of experience in the sporting arena would
surely be beneficial in the broader, more time-requiring responsibility
of attending to UE’s entire sports program—a program that covers over
30 sporting squads, aside from our basketball teams.

In the interim, filling Coach Codiñera’s big shoes for the UE Red
Warriors will be a colleague of his, a fellow UE alumnus and a fellow
Red Warrior: David “Boycie” Zamar.

Coach Zamar will now steer the all-Filipino UE Red Warriors-Men’s
Basketball Team, as the entire squad faces its opponents anew for the
UAAP 75 tournament’s second round—starting with this Saturday’s game
against the De La Salle Green Archers. Coach Codiñera, as UE Sports
Consultant, is expected to remain on hand to provide inspiration and
support to the UE Red Warriors.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

In 2009, FIFA decided to reward the aesthetic-ness of scoring goals with the FIFA Puskás Award. The award is named after the legendary Hungarian, who captained the Mighty Magyars of the 1950s and played for the Real Madrid in the 1960s.

The past three years have gone to Cristiano Ronaldo (Champions League QF for Manchester United versus FC Porto), Hamit Alintop (Euro 2012 Group A Qualifying for Turkey versus Kazakhstan) and Neymar (2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A for Santos versus Flamengo).

It looks like 2012 will not be lacking in drama as we have already seen sensational goals that we can deem as very very Puskás-worthy.

Here are five from last season's in the Premiership worth your time and attention, something worth revisiting with club football being officially back in business in Europe this past weekend. The standard has been set, so to speak.

Robin van Persie (Arsenal) - The PFA Player of the Year carried the Gunners most of the season, ending up with 30 goals for the Gunners. This one, with Thierry Henry witnessing from one of the boxes, is a stroke of beauty and grace. All Red Devils fans are looking forward to seeing him do his magic for them instead of against them this year.

Peter Crouch (Stoke City) - With Wayne Rooney being unavailable for England for a portion of the Euro 2012 due to a suspension, it was thought that he could be a viable option, thanks to this magical goal. Well, Roy Hodgson has other ideas, going with Andy Carroll instead in the Euros.

Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle) - Considered by some as the best January transfer buy in the Premiership, Newcastle used some of the profits from the transfer of Andy Carroll to Liverpool into Demba Ba, who sizzled at the start of the season, then added his Senegalese teammate from German side SC Freiburg. He has scored 13 goals since the move, but this one against Chelsea on May 2, was a true beauty.

Luis Suarez (Liverpool) - You will only see one aspect of the sensation chip from distance below, but someone provided alternate views. This was the highlight of the Uruguayan's hat trick against Norwich, his first with the squad from Anfield.

Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle) - The French international was sensational in this run below. The GIF does not do it justice.

Sebastian Coates (Liverpool) - Scissors kicks are an awesome thing to see as a fan, as seen here below.

UST - They earned their stay here, as Abdul and Fortuna make sure Coach Pido keeps his "chamba" run going.Ateneo - Even with some new wrinkles being hurled at them, the Blue Eagles still figured it out.FEU - Bert Flores must be having Ryan Buenafe flashbacks circa 2010. And they still haven't figured out JP Erram for two years running.La Salle - They could have beaten the Bulldogs much earlier if not for their foul shooting. Kudos to Jeron for his scorching 35 points.NU - Bright days may be in the horizon even with the double OT defeat, and it is not just because of Stephie Sy returning as their courtside reporter.UP - Finally, good breaks went their way.

Adamson - Rodney Brondial might be stating his case the best performing local big in the UAAP. Put a scare into the current co-leaders until they wilted in the final two minutes.UE - Whatever positive vibe they had in their victory over the Falcons was undone with their defeat against a previously winless UP.What lies ahead:

The 2012 PBA Draft came and went. Had the chance to watch this proceeding in person and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Petron: June Mar Fajardo, Alex Mallari, Mark Sarangay. Not surprised with Fajardo going 1st overall. Just making sure Team SMC has him on lock (he was on their ABL team). Hopefully his apprenticeship is smoother than what Sam Eman went through with them. An already strong frontline gets a boost with Mallari now in. Sarangay might just see himself doing ABL stuff soon.

Alaska: Calvin Abueva, Raphy Reyes, Karl Dehesa. The task now for Luigi Trillo would be to try to corral "The Beast" and integrate his skill set onto the triangle scheme. Surrounding himself with veteran coaches helps, as does having Topex Robinson (Calvin's HC at SSC-R). Reyes and Dehesa are depth picks at the backcourt.

Barako Bull: Dave Marcelo, Lester Alvarez, Emman Monfort, Woody Co, Kokoy Hermosisima (and Sean Anthony). The Manong Brigade needed an injection of youth and skill, as well as being able to play immediately, with Marcelo chiefly being able to already plug the hole that Don Allado put himself into.

Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel: Chris Ellis, Keith Jensen, Ryan Boada, Jerick Canada, Paul Zamar, JR Buensuceso, Elliott Tan. Their first two picks are great additions of size and athleticism, especially with Ellis. Then they added 5 guards, all below 5'11. If you are accumulating that number of guards AND you have the likes of Cortez, Helterbrand and Labagala... Very David Kahn-esque of Siot.

Rain or Shine: Chris Tiu, Bacon Austria, Jewel Palomique. Coach Yeng pretty much has a grasp of the team's needs, adding role players that fit what he wants to achieve. We know Tiu and Austria can defend. They'll figure out their need on size in free agency / trade.

B-Meg: Aldrech Ramos, Jewel Ponferrada, Gian Chiu, Ramon Mabayo. Curious move to virtually trade up to snag Aldrech, especially having to give up a Sakuragi-esque player in Sean Anthony to pull it off. Also curious, snagging three bigs, with Ponferrada then Chiu. Mabayo is a long-shot to make the roster.

Air 21: Yousef Taha, Simon Atkins. The DLSU braintrust knows what Atkins can do, thus no-brainer at where they were picking him. Taha adds ceiling to a really small team (only rookie Magi Sison is taller than 6'4".)

Talk 'N Text: Jaypee Belencion, Jason Escueta. Belencion can shoot. Ask La Salle during a certain Fil-Oil game. The lineup remains stacked, so this is merely a means to stock up on depth. TNT bench is very familiar with what Jumbo can provide, since they coached him.

Thoughts on the draft from being at the venue:

1. Huge crowd at Robinson's Midtown Atrium. All floors occupied as fans flocked around the venue. Someone unfurled an Aldrech Ramos tarp from one floor when he was drafted. Ditto with Raphy Reyes. But with his case, it's the one you're familiar with at courtside on the UAAP games. The PBA is going to be fine, y'all.

2. Ateneo vs La Salle. I was seated behind the Air 21 table. Sure has a DLSU feel to it, from Coach Franz to his assistants Tonichi Yturri and Jack Santiago to Renren Ritualo. Beside them is the Talk 'N Text table. You probably knew that Norman Black is their new head coach. He basically ported over virtually the entire Ateneo coaching staff, as Sandy, Jamike and Gene were there with Coach. Norman has already said he is going to finish UAAP's Season 75 with Ateneo. The PBA opens on September 30. Based on my schedule calculations, that is the Sunday of the UAAP Final Four Week. They are going to have an interesting stretch of games.

3. It pays to be in an established program / team. All Ateneans were drafted. All members of NLEX were drafted. The Adamson players that Coach Leo Austria nurtured were drafted.

4. A sense of timing. Ronald Pascual gets it. This year's draft class is stacked. Next year's batch won't be as strong, but it will be decent, highlighted by the crop of Ateneans in Slaughter and Salva.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Erik Spoelstra is proud of his Filipino heritage, and as part of paying homage to it, has been flying in to the country to return to his roots.

Due to the NBA lockout last year, it was a pretty much muzzled experience for most Pinoys, who would have loved to enjoy and relish the Heat experience of making the Finals in Lebron+Dwyane+Chris's first year. In spite of that, Grantland writer Rafe Bartholomew wrote a definitive narrative of his visit then.

Fast forward a year later.

The Miami Heat wins the championship and some much needed satisfaction for each individual on that organization.

For Spoelstra, it brings legitimacy to his coaching acumen, something he first learned in Miami as a video-coordinator and then as an assistant under Pat Riley.

Now a champion, he makes his triumphant return to the Philippines, with fans looking forward to when he will visit. And he did earlier this month, squeezing a lot onto this schedule.

He made a splash during the PBA Governor's Cup Finals, watching Game 5 and visited the locker room. He held a press conference to a happy set of Filipino media and had a courtesy call with the President of the Republic. He taught kids. He explained Game 4 of the NBA Finals to a throng of Heat fans in a movie theater.

I was privileged enough to be able to watch the latter that particular night, after earlier having the opportunity to be one of the few media members able to attend a Facebook video chat conducted by Gatorade Philippines. I took the chance to record the event as seen below...

We are privileged to have had Erik Spoelstra come to our shores for the past few years, making an impact with those around him.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

On August 25, a charity football match benefiting the Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation in Alabang is to take place at the University of Makati, featuring the newest faces of Clear shampoo, James and Phil Younghusband of the Loyola Meralco Sparks FC and the Philippine Men's Senior National Football team. This is what we know as the Clear Dream Match.

The Clear Dream Match will feature not only feature those who ply their trade in the United Football League, but also feature celebrities who also have a knack for the sport. Fans selected the final pool of 40 from an all-star ballot of 60 players found on Clear's Facebook page. From that pool, Phil and James selected their roster in a draft that took place on August 11 at the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Foundation.

Before the draft proper, a clinic was conducted with the kid beneficiaries alongside students from The Younghusband Football Academy (TYFA), with certain members from the final pool helping out. The highlight of the clinic is a futsal match involving all parties.

A coin toss conducted by sportswriter Rick Olivares determined who will be selecting first in the Clear Draft, which Team Phil managed to secure.

The first phase of the draft involved both Phil and James making their initial five picks. These particular picks are based from the entire pool available. The UFL's Golden Boot winner went with Kaya FC's Saba Garamoundi as his top overall pick to set the tone for his plan, as the rest of his initial selections reflected a desire to solidify his defense (Park Min Ho, Yves Ashime, Roxy Dorlas and Armand del Rosario, in order of selection). Contrast that with James going with a combination of Kaya FC and Green Archers United players (In order of selection: Anton del Rosario, Nate Burkey, Pat Bocobo, Jonah Romero and Patrick Deyto).

The next phase sees both players picking the remaining 15 players from a set pool of positions (Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders and Goalkeepers). Among the ones joining Team Phil are his Loyola teammates Davide Cortina (12th pick), Dexter Versario (13th pick) and Byeong Jeong Yeol (14th pick). As for those who wore the country's colors, Pachanga's Freddy Gonzales (15th pick) and Stallion FC's Ojay Clarino (16th pick) will be Phil's attack partners. On the other hand, the select group of players comprising Team James include his Loyola teammates Pat Ozaeta (9th pick) and Ref Cuaresma (20th pick), as well as former national team players Rudy del Rosario (6th pick) and Diliman FC's Reymark Fernandez (11th pick).

Celebrities dot both rosters, with Rafael Rosell (7th pick), Daniel Matsunaga (9th pick) and Paolo Bediones (8th pick) joining Team Phil while Jake Cuenca (10th pick) and Andrew Wolff (19th pick) gets to be with Team James. 2/3 of the fabled Boys Night Out are also participating and in fact, will be on opposing sides (Tony Toni is Phil's 10th pick, while Slick Rick is James' 12th pick).

The last phase of selections involve wild cards, to which Phil and James can select someone who was not included in the 40-man pool. James went first, going with the national team physical therapist Wally Javier, while Phil, apparently still being true to his plan, went with his Loyola teammate in Anto Gonzales. This phase also is where they revealed their coaching selections, with Phil choosing Randy Roxas and James selecting Vince Santos and Fr. John Cordero.

Ticket details for this charity match are on Clear's Facebook page. But if you can't see them live, you can watch it on AkTV. Coverage starts at 8PM after the NCAA Games.

Updates: Based from information secured by Rick Olivares, Ojay Clarino and Wilson Munoz were pulled out upon request by Penson Stallion Gilligan's, while Freddy Gonzales will be unavailable due to his own personal commitments. 2/3 of the vacancies were filled by Michael Menzi and Ousseynou Diop.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Fresh from the homecoming of Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Philippines will once again be the host of a NBA guest in a few days.

To commemorate NBA 3X Philippines 2012 presented by Sprite, Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez will be visiting and partaking of the activities, scheduled from August 17-19 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall and the SM by the Bay,

Joining the seven-foot Stanford alum will be the Charlotte Lady Cats Dancers as well as Stuff, the Magic Dragon, a.k.a. the mascot of the Orlando Magic.

Brook, who recently signed an extension with the Nets, is very excited to visit the country, adding that, "I know some of the NBA’s most avid
fans are in the Philippines and I look forward to bringing a taste of
the league to their home country and seeing a great display of
basketball talent.”

Alongside the 3x3 event will be a slam dunk contest as well as a skills challenge, both of which will be sponsored by Sprite, as well as a three-point shootout sponsored by KFC. In addition, there will also be try-outs for the Sprite Uncontainable Game, a basketball match centered around Lebron James' Team Sudden facing off against Kobe Bryant's Team Intense. Both players will assemble their roster from a global pool of players, which will include a couple from the Philippines. Those selected to participate gets to go to the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. Check out Sprite's ad for this event.

Those who are not participating in the event can still enjoy the experience, as live bands and DJs will provide some entertainment. There will also be NBA merchandise giveaways. Ballers from the different basketball leagues as well as local celebrities will also grace the event, which has Sprite and KFC as its main partners. The event also has the following partners: SOLARtv Network Inc., Studio 23, X-Play, Philippine Star, PhilStar.com and SLAM Philippines (for media), Marriott Manila, Spalding and Monster Cable (for support) and SM Mall of Asia and SM Cinemas (for venue).

For more details, check out NBA Philippines, either on the web, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

UST - With the others idle (not because they wanted it to be in that situation), they made sure they stay on top.Ateneo -Is rust going to be a factor? Good thing their opponents are facing the same issue.NU - Need to translate the momentum from the last match into this one. FEU - Is rust going to be a factor? Good thing their opponents are facing the same issue.La Salle - The refrain still remains. Shooting. Foul. Shots.Adamson - Gave the Archers their all. Just doomed in the end.UP - Need to translate those close matches into something more soonUE - Cannon fodder for opposition, but the easiest portion of the schedule looms.

What lies ahead:

Wednesday @ the Araneta Coliseum - 2 P.M. - University of the East vs Adamson / 4
P.M. - University of the Philippines vs University of Santo Tomas

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

And so it ends for the quest for a medal in the Olympics a goal that remains unattained for the last four Olympic Games. Let's see how each fared on their respective events.

Jasmine Alkhaldi
- Swimming (Women's 100-meter freestyle): She finished 5th in her heat with a time of 57.13
seconds. She was 34th out of 48 entrants. The gold medal swim of the Netherlands' Ranomi Kromowidjojo was an Olympic-record 53 seconds.

Hidilyn Diaz
- Weightlifting (Women's 58 kg): The flagbearer for the Philippines in the Opening Ceremonies is one of two competitors who was not able to complete her lift, as she was unable to register a result in the Clean and Jerk. Her Snatch lift of 97 kg put her in 13th in the 19-woman field.

Rene Herrera - Track and Field (Men's 5000 meters): Finished 21st in his heat with a personal-best 14:44:11 time. On aggregate, he was 41st overall. Mo Farah's gold medal-winning run was at 13:41:66.

Jessie Khing Lacuna
- Swimming (Men's 200-meter freestyle): Finished 5th in his heat with a time of 1:52:91, putting him in 36th overall in the field. The gold medal swim of France's Yannick Agnel was at 1:43:14.

Marestella Torres - Athletics (Women's Long Jump): Finished 11th in her group with a 6.22m jump. The result puts her 22nd overall. The gold medal-winning attempt by Britney Reese of the United States was at 7.12m.

And so, the quest to pinpoint the blame has resumed in earnest. What really is need to be done here? That's the question.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

With all the monsoon rains inundating the country to the extent of current flooding, the collegiate leagues have decided to postpone their respective games.

The UAAP had previously announced the postponement of their August 8 matches to a later date. Today Wednesday, they announced the postponement of the August 9 women's basketball matches and the August 11 matches of the juniors and seniors division matches. The reason for the new postponements are due to the current unavailability of the Philsports Arena, which is currently an evacuation center.

They have decided to move the August 8 matches (La Salle vs Adamson at 2 PM, UE vs UST at 4 PM) to Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The August 11 (UST vs Adamson at 2PM, NU vs La Salle at 4PM) and August 12 (UP vs UE at 2PM and Ateneo vs FEU at 4PM) matches to the following weekend (August 18 and 19). The August 18 and 19 matches have no confirmed venue yet.

UPDATE: The UAAP Online Media Bureau has posted the revised schedule.

All Men's Seniors matches are scheduled at the Araneta Coliseum.

August 12, Sunday: 2 P.M. - La Salle vs Adamson / 4 P.M. - University of the East vs University of Santo Tomas

August 15, Wednesday: 2 P.M. - University of the East vs Adamson / 4 P.M. - University of the Philippines versus University of Santo Tomas

Meanwhile, the NCAA Mancom will announce by Friday the new dates for the Aug 9 (JRU-Letran, SBC-SSC-R) & 11 (MIT-AU, SBC-Letran) postponements.

Relief efforts are currently conducted by most of the different member schools of both the UAAP and NCAA. Also, Kiefer Ravena, who was one of the architects of the Fastbreak charity hoops event, is planning to do a similar event to raise funds for relief efforts. You may follow @fastbreak15 for details.

UST - More cardiac action, thanks to double-OT. Hopefully, for their sake, less of that, considering their upcoming opposition.Ateneo - Easy victories, but there are woes behind those victories. Can't have those woes against FEU.NU - A much-needed come-from-behind victory.FEU -Shaky victory after an agonizing defeat. Not they way you'd like to face Ateneo in.La Salle - Coach Gee must be having his players shoot a million foul shots. UP - Keeping themselves close against the 2012 UAAP finalists? Who knew?Adamson - It's the end of the road for Alex Nuyles.UE - The fact that they were close for a half is more because Ateneo allowed it to happen.

What lies ahead:

Wednesday @ the Araneta Coliseum - 2 P.M La Salle vs Adamson; 4 P.M University of the East vs University of Santo Tomas Since been postponed as per the UAAP Board.

Saturday @ the PhilSports Arena - 2 P.M. University of Santo Tomas vs Adamson; 4 P.M National University vs La Salle Since has been postponed as per the UAAP Board

Sunday @ the Araneta Coliseum - 2 P.M. University
of the Philippines vs University of the East; 4 P.M Ateneo de Manila vs Far Eastern University 2 P.M La Salle vs Adamson; 4 P.M. University of the East vs University of Santo Tomas (Original matches have been postponed and Wednesday's matches were moved to this date.)

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

UST - Character-building victory against a preseason darling. They earn their stay here.Ateneo - Classic victory over its rival. Nothing to see here that we haven't seen before. FEU - Escapes cardiac mode with smashing victory.

La Salle - LA Revilla is the motor that keeps them going. Can Coach Gee find a way to lessen his burden?NU - Two easy blowouts, Getting blown out themselves, and now allowing someone to come back and beat you. What are the Bulldogs' true identity. Maybe the Tamaraws can answer this for us.Adamson - Jericho Cruz is the successor of Alex Nuyles.UP - Nice comeback, but allowing a hustle play on defense and awful final offensive execution killed the Maroons. With the finalists of the last couple of seasons coming this week, it's not looking good.

UE - Getting blown out by 26 is really ugly. And the champs are coming next.

What lies ahead:

Thursday @ the Araneta Coliseum - 2 P.M Ateneo de Manila vs University of the Philippines; 4 P.M National University vs Far Eastern University

Saturday @ the Mall of Asia Arena - 2 P.M. University of Santo Tomas vs De La Salle; 4 P.M University of the East vs Ateneo de Manila

Sunday @ the Mall of Asia Arena - 2 P.M. Far Eastern University vs University of the Philippines; 4 P.M Adamson University vs National University